Guide chute for hot strip coilers



Dec. 20, 1960 A. H. MAKI GUIDE CHUTE} FOR HOT STRIP COILERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 6, 1957 I/VVE/VTOI'? AR/VE H. MAK/ Dec. 20, 1960 Filed Aug. 6, 1957 A. H. MAKI GUIDE CHUTE FOR HOT STRIP COILERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V VE/V TOR AR/VE H. MAK/ Attorney United States Patent 6 GUIDE CHUTE FOR HOT STRIP COILERS Arne H. Maki, Crown Point, Ind., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 6, 1957, Ser. No. 676,666

12 Claims. (Cl. 193-40) This invention is directed to the problem of eliminating telescoped convolutions in coils of hot-rolled strip. It resides, as indicated, in a chute for guiding strip to a coiler and, more particularly, relates to improvements that prevent side movement of the strip during its travel to the coiler.

As a final step in its production, hot-rolled strip is fed from the finishing stand of a strip rolling mill to a run-out table, which delivers it to a coiler where it is wound into coil form to facilitate subsequent handling operations. Side movement of the strip during its travel from the run-out table to the coiler results in telescoped convolutions with projecting edges. Coils of this character are of course undesirable in that the projecting edges of the telescoped convolutions are subject to damage by battering during subsequent handling operations. While guide chutes are customarily used for the purpose of eliminating this condition, conventional forms have not proved entirely effective and the problem of telescoped coils continues to be troublesome.

This invention accordingly has as its principal object the provision of an improved guide chute for hot-strip coilers which eliminates the production of coils with telescoped convolutions.

A further and related object is to provide a chute having laterally spaced strip guide assemblies respectively formed of articulated strip entry and edge guides that enable more accurate strip guiding without binding and thereby prevent side movement of the strip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide chute with an edge guiding section for guiding engagement with a strip edge that is adjustable to different operating positions according to the width of the strip, and a retracting mechanism including a slide support for its movement laterally to a retracted position enabling free movement of the forward end of strip therethrough which operates independently of the mechanism for adjusting its operating position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing of a preferred embodiment. In the drawings:

Figure l is a sectional view taken centrally and longitudinally of a guide chute constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention and showing the general arrangement of the chute with respect to the conveyor rolls of a run-out table;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the chute shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows somewhat diagrammatically the conveyor rolls 1 of a run-out table that receives hot-rolled strip from the finishing stand of a rolling mill, and the arrangement with respect thereto of a chute, designated as a whole by the numeral 2, for guiding strip therefrom to a coiler (not shown). The chute 2 is mounted on a shaft 3 by bearings 4 projecting from opposite sides of an apron plate 5 for tilting movement in a clockwise direction from the position shown in the drawings to a horizontal position in which it is out of the path of movement of strip over the rolls 1. Lifting links 6 (see Figure 2) have pivotal connections with a shaft 7 extending transversely of the apron plate 5 for raising and lowering the chute 2 aboutthe shaft 3 between its operative and inoperative positions. Laterally spaced side guides 8 and a ridge 9 extending centrally of the apron plate 5 cooperate to provide a bearing surface 10 which furnishes a sliding support for the strip during its travel to a coiler. The structure of the coiler guide chute thus far described is conventional and forms no part per se of this invention.

In accordance with the principles of this invention, the chute 2 is provided with identical guide assemblies on opposite sides of the apron plate ridge 9. In each of such assemblies, the side guides 8 have identical constructions and are comprised of articulated sections 11 and 12 connected at their inner ends by hinges 13. The sections 12 are edge guides arranged parallel to each other and are adapted to have guiding engagement with opposite edges of strip travelling over the surface 10 in a manner to be described. The sections 11 are entry guides arranged angularly with respect to the direction of strip travel and providing a mouth or funnel for directing the movement of the strip to the space between the strip edge guides 12.

Each of the entry guide sections 11 has a flange 14 projecting outwardly with respect to the upper surface of the apron plate 5 and which converges with respect to the longitudinal center line of the chute. By reason of their converging arrangement with respect to the direction of strip travel, the facing surfaces on the flanges 14 operate to guide strip entering the chute 2 to the space between the sections 12. Each of the flanges 14 is secured at its bottom to a base plate 15. The base plates 15 are slidably supported on the apron plate 5 and have a thickness such that their upper surfaces are at the same level as the upper surface of the apron plate ridge 9 and thus cooperate to provide the surface 10 over which the strip has sliding movement. has pivotal movement on the apron plate 5 about a pin 17 secured to the apron plate 5 at the strip entry end thereof and extending through an elongated slot 18 in the base plate 15. The facing edges 19 and 20 of the ridge 9 and base plates 15 are contoured to provide for pivotal movement of the entry guides 11 in a manner to be described.

Each of the parallel side guide sections 12 has a flange 21 projecting outwardly from the apron plate 5 for guiding strip moving thereby. As best shown in Figure 3, the flanges 21 are provided by angle sections that include oppositely projecting flanges 22 and 23 at the bottoms thereof, and which are supported for sliding movement on the apron plate 5, the inwardly projecting flanges 23 have a thickness such that their upper surfaces form part of the strip supporting surface 10. Wear plates 24 secured to the facing surfaces of the guide flanges 21 are adapted to have guiding engagement with opposite edges of strip moving through the chute. Angle sections 25 are secured to each of the flanges 21 for holding strip against movement outwardly with respect to the apron plate 5.

Sliding movement of each of edge guides 12 on the apron plate 5 is confined to a guided rectilinear movement in a direction transversely of the guide flanges 21 along a pair of rods 26, which extend transversely of ,the apron plate 5 and have their outer ends secured by brackets 28 to the apron plate 5. The rods 26 project through aligned openings 29 in guide blocks 30 secured at their lower ends to the flanges 22 of the edge guides Each of the plates 15 end of the connecting bracket 39.

12. In this manner, the guided movement of the guide blocks 30 along the rods 26 serves to guide the movement of the edge guides 12 relative to each other and to maintain their parallel relation.

Adjustment of the lateral spacing and operative guiding positions of each of the edge guides 12 is effected simultaneously in opposite directions by a pair of nuts 31 and 32 which have threaded engagement on reversely threaded ends of an adjusting shaft 33. The shaft 33 is rotatably mounted in bracket supports 34 secured to the bottom side of the apron plate 5. A lever 36 has a ratcheting connection 37 with one end of the shaft 33 for imparting rotation thereto to adjust the positions of the nuts 31 and 32 in an endwise direction relative thereto.

Adjustment of the lateral spacing of the edge guides 12 is effected in response to movement of the nuts 31 and 32 by a pair of connecting brackets 38 and 39. The connecting bracket 38 is secured at its ends by bolts 40 and 41 to the adjusting nut 31 and the base flange 22 of one of the side guides 12. The bracket 38 thus provides a rigid connection for one of the side guides 12 with the adjusting nut 31. The bracket 39 is secured by bolts 42 to adjusting nut 32 and has an auxiliary slide connection with the remaining edge guide, which is designated 12a in the following description, and provides for retracting movement of the edge guide 12a from the operating position to which it is moved by the adjusting nut 32.

The auxiliary slide for the edge guide 12a includes stop pins 43 which are secured to and project upwardly from the base flange 22 through elongated slots 44 in the inner An extension 45 on the outer end of the bracket 39 provides a support for an expansible chamber motor 46 which forms part of the slide connection between the edge guide 12a and the bracket 39. The motor 46 is preferably an air cylinder having a piston rod 47 extending outwardly therefrom and connected at its outer end with the edge guide 12a. The connection of the piston rod 47 with the edge guide 12a includes a wrist pin 48 which has its ends supported in a pair of lugs 49 projecting outwardly from a bracket 50 rigidly secured to the flange 21 of the edge guide 12a. In its extended position, the piston rod 47 operates to hold the edge guide 12a in its operative guiding position with respect to the adjusting bracket 39 which is determined by engagement of the stop pins 43 with the inner ends of the slots 44. In this position, movement of the adjusting nut 32 on the shaft 33 is effective to adjust the position of the adjusting bracket 39 in a direction transversely of the apron plate and therebv adiust the operative guiding position of the edge guide 1211. Upon operation of air cylinder 46 to actuate piston rod 47 to the right as viewed in Figure 3, the edge guide 12a is moved laterally outwardly to a retracted position determined by movement of the stop pins 43 to the outer ends of the slots 44. In its retracted position, edge guide 12a provides clearance for free movement of the forward end of strip between the guides 12. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that this retracting movement for the edge guide 12a is effected without disturbing or operating the adjusting mechanism that controls the operative guiding positions of the edge guides 12.

The air motor 46 may be any conventional type for performing the above operations but is preferably one having a spring bias for movement of the rod 47 to its extended position.

In operation, the air cylinder 46 is operated to retract the rod 47 and move the edge guide 12a to a retracted position preliminary to movement of the forward end of a strip to be coiled therethrough. As soon as the forward end of such strip is engaged in the coiler, the air cylinder 46 is operated to move the rod 47 to its extended position and return the edge guide 12a to the position shown in the drawings in which the guiding facing surfaces on the wear plates 24 have guiding engagement with the strip moving therebetween. The provision for re tracting the edge guide 12a independently of the mechanism for adjusting the operative guiding positions thereof enables the edge guides 12 to be adjusted to positions more closely approximating the width of the strip than would be possible in apparatus that either does not provide for retracting movement of the edge guides or effects retracting movement through the mechanism for adjusting the operative guiding positions thereof. In this manner, the guiding positions of the edge guides 12 may be positioned closer together without exerting a binding action against the strip moving therethrough and without danger of cobbling strip in the chute 2. Side movement of strip travelling to a coiler is thus reduced and the coiling of strip with telescoped edges is effectively eliminated.

Attention is further directed to the fact that the chute entry guides 11 have their positions automatically adjusted in response to change in the lateral spacing of the edge guides 12. This automatic adjustment of the angular position of the entry guides 11 is effected by the articulation of the guides 11 and 12 through the hinge connections 13 and the pivotal support of the guides 11 on the apron plate 5.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A guide chute for hot strip coilers comprising a pair of strip entry guides arranged in converging angular positions relative to the direction of strip movement, pivot supporting means at the outer ends of each of said guides providing for adjustment of their respective angular positions, a pair of parallel guides arranged inwardly of said entry guides and mounted in laterally spaced relation for guiding engagement with opposite edges of the strip, means for adjusting the lateral spacing of said parallel guides according to the width of the strip to be guided thereby, hinge means connecting the inner ends of each of said entry guides with one of said parallel guides for adjusting their angular positions in response to change in the lateral spacing of said parallel guides, and means independent of said adjusting means for moving at least one of said parallel guides laterally between an operative strip guiding position and an inoperative retracted position.

2. A guide chute as defined in claim 1 characterized by the provision of a stop carried'by said adjusting means for engaging and limiting movement of said one parallel guide to its operative guiding position, and said one guide having a slide support on said adjusting means for movement to its said retracted position.

3. A guide chute as defined in claim 2 characterized by said independent moving means including a fluid pres sure expansible chamber motor for moving said one guide on its said slide support.

4. In a guide chute for hot strip coilers, a side guide for guiding engagement with a side edge of strip moving to the coiler, means mounting said guide for rectilinear movement transversely with respect to the path of strip movement and including a stop, and a slide supporting said guide for movement laterally outwardly from an operative guiding position engaged with said stop to a retracted and inoperative guiding position, and means for adjusting the position of said stop and thereby the operative guiding position of said guide.

5. In a guide chute for hot strip coilers. a side guide for guiding engagement with a side edge of strip moving to the coiler, means mounting said guide for rectilinear movement transversely with respect to the path of strip movement and including a stop, and a slide supporting said guide for movement laterally outwardly from an operative guiding position engaged with said stop to a retracted and inoperative guiding position, means for adjusting the position of said stop and thereby the operative guiding position of said guide, and means normally operative for holding said guide in its said operative guiding position engaged with said stop includng an air cylinder for moving it on said slide between said operative guiding and retracted positions.

6. A chute for guiding hot rolled strip from a runout table to a coiler comprising an apron plate over which the strip travels in an endwise direction, a pair of side guides arranged in laterally spaced positions for guiding engagement with opposite edges of strip moving over said plate, a pair of adjusting brackets, means including a common shaft having reversely threaded ends for adjusting the positions of said brackets in opposite directions transversely of said plate, means connecting said guides to said brackets for adjusting movement thereby, the said connecting means for one of said guides comprising a pin and slot connection providing for movement of said one guide relative to the bracket with which it is connected in a direction transversely of the path of strip movement over said plates between an operative strip guiding position and a retracted position spaced laterally outwardly with respect to said operative position, and means operating independently of said shaft and bracket for moving said one guide between said operative and retracted positions, said moving means being normally operable for holding said one guide in its said operative strip guiding position.

7. A chute as defined in claim 6 characterized by the said moving means for said one guide comprising a fluid pressure motor mounted on the bracket to which it is connected by said pin and slot connection.

8. In a guide chute for hot strip coilers, an apron plate over which the strip travels in an endwise direction, a side guide for guiding engagement with a side edge of strip moving over said plate, a mounting flange at the bottom of said guide having a slide support on said plate, an adjusting bracket extending outwardly from said guide and having at its inner end a slot extending transversely of the path of strip movement over said plate and an adjusting nut depending from its outer end, means including a shaft having threaded engagement in said nut for adjusting the position of said bracket relative to said apron plate, a pin secured to said guide flange and projecting through said slot providing for lateral movement of said guide between operative strip guiding and retracted positions respectively determined by engagement of said pin with the inner and outer ends of said slot, and a fluid pressure motor means mounted on said bracket and having a connection with said guide for moving it between its said retracted and operative guiding positions, said motor means being normally effective to hold said guide in its said operative strip guiding position.

9. A chute for guiding hot rolled strip from a run-out table to a coiler comprising an apron plate over which the strip travels in an endwise direction, a pair of parallel side guides arranged in laterally spaced relation for guiding engagement with opposite edges of strip moving over said apron plate, means for adjusting the lateral spacing of said parallel guides according to the width of the strip to be guided thereby, and means independent of said adjusting means for moving at least one of said parallel guides laterally between an operative strip guiding position and an inoperative retracted position.

10. A chute for guiding hot rolled strip from a run-out table to a coiler comprising an apron plate over which the strip travels in an endwise direction, a pair of parallel side guides arranged in laterally spaced relation for guiding engagement with opposite edges of strip moving over said apron plate, means for adjusting the lateral spacing of said parallel guides according to the width of the strip to be guided thereby, and means independent of said adjusting means for moving at least one of said parallel guides laterally between an operative strip guiding position and an inoperative retracted position comprising a stop adjustable to different lateral positions by said adjusting means, and an auxiliary support means mounting said one side guide for movement laterally outwardly from said operative guiding position in which it is engaged with said stop to said inoperative retracted position.

11. A chute as defined in claim 10 characterized by said auxiliary support means comprising a slide supporting said one guide for movement between said operative guiding and retracted positions.

12. A chute as defined in claim 10 characterized by the provision of means normally operative for holding said one guide in said operative guiding position and including an air cylinder for moving it on said slide between said operative and retracted positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 439,078 Maddock Oct. 21, 1890 1,956,636 Biggert May 1, 1934 2,072,121 Montgomery Mar. 2, 1937 2,072,122 Montgomery Mar. 2, 1937 2,111,054 Paul Mar. 15, 1938 2,708,511 Wilson et a1. May 17, 1955 

